Making healthy choices if you don't cook

The options in our modern grocery stores allow many healthy choices for those who don't like to cook or who lack cooking skills or equipment. Generally, ready-to-eat foods purchased at the grocery store cost more than if the same ingredients are purchased and prepared at home. However, these ready-to-eat foods do cost less than if purchased in a café or restaurant. Convenience usually comes with a price -- whether it is money, time or quality of the food.

From the produce section

Choose foods that can easily be eaten raw. Bananas, apples, grapes, oranges and baby carrots are five of the easiest to prepare or carry along in a lunch bag or briefcase or to have as a snack.

Green and red leafy lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers and tomatoes are other good vegetable choices; a low fat salad dressing could be a dip with these.

Baking a small white potato, a sweet potato, a yam or a piece of winter squash in a microwave for 5-10 minutes provides a hot dish with very little effort.

Frozen vegetables such as peas or green beans are also a good investment. Frozen vegetables are also easy and fast to cook in the microwave or on the stove top.

Almost all fruits in season are good choices since they require no cooking and little preparation.

Fruit juices, such as orange juice, or the blended juices like banana-orange-pineapple, are tasty and convenient. Be sure they are labeled 100% juice for the best nutrition.

From the dairy section

Choose cow's milk or a fortified soy milk beverage with at least one meal every day.

Choose low fat milk, low fat yogurt or cottage cheese

Low fat cheeses, like individually wrapped string cheese.

Low fat soymilk fortified with calcium, or other soy milk products, can also meet the need for calcium and protein.

From the meat section (and protein rich foods)

Choose protein rich foods that are low in fat, or from which the fat can be removed.